There were many soldiers coming and going near the war zone, most of them heading to Tianlong City to deliver messages. Generally, bandits dared not touch anyone in uniform.
They were bandits for wealth, not for death.
Provoking a messenger was no different than seeking death.
It was also a thankless task, yielding no profit and only bringing trouble.
Su Fan arrived at the foot of Leihu Stockade. Leihu Stockade was located on the mountain above. There were no lookouts at the foot of the mountain, which was why the information stated that the defenses were lax.
Su Fan parked his horse. Suddenly, Su Fan thought of something. What would happen to this horse if he teleported away later?
Su Fan hesitated for only a moment before deciding to simply let it go.
Su Fan left the horse there without tethering it.
After all, the stockade had plenty of things, and it wouldn't miss one horse. He could always make up for it from other places.
Su Fan changed out of his soldier uniform and quietly snuck up the mountain.
There were no patrols on the mountain; most people were in the stockade, while some bandits were idly wandering around.
"Our boss is in luck today! It's a joyous occasion, we brothers must have a good drink!"
"Definitely! We won't go home until we're drunk tonight!"
Su Fan overheard two passing bandits talking in the shadows.
A thought struck Su Fan.
Was today the wedding day of the chief of Leihu Stockade? He had stumbled upon a wedding feast.
Su Fan quietly approached the vicinity of Leihu Stockade's mountain gate. Leihu Stockade's gate was much better than that of Shuihu Stockade; at least it had a proper gate.
"Congratulations to Chief Xu, for marrying such a beautiful woman as your bandit queen!"
A bald man walked up the mountain and congratulated the chief of Leihu Stockade inside the gate.
"So it's Chief Tuotuo, please come in quickly!"
Chief Xu warmly invited the bald man into Leihu Stockade.
Su Fan, due to his angle, did not see what Chief Xu looked like.
A thought stirred in Su Fan's mind.
Since it was a joyous occasion and many guests were invited, there would surely be many strangers. Su Fan could take this opportunity to slip in.
Chief Xu, who was outside, only stayed for a moment before going elsewhere. It was his big day, and he couldn't possibly greet guests outside the entire time.
Su Fan knew this was his chance.
He tidied up his appearance a bit, making himself look more like a bandit.
Then, Su Fan walked up the mountain carrying a bundle from halfway up the slope.
"Congratulations, congratulations! Congratulations to Chief Xu for marrying such a beautiful woman as your bandit queen!"
As soon as Su Fan reached the entrance, he shouted into the stockade with a laugh.
"Hey, why isn't your chief greeting guests at the gate?"
Su Fan feigned a slight pause and asked a nearby bandit subordinate.
"Our chief is busy."
The bandit subordinate replied truthfully.
He didn't recognize Su Fan, but he didn't dare to ask casually. After all, there were so many stockades in the Beiling area, it was normal that he hadn't seen everyone. Those who came to congratulate were definitely local chiefs, and he couldn't afford to offend them.
"This is a gift for your chief, please take it?"
Su Fan held up the bundle in his hand and said to the subordinate, looking at him with an expression of feigned cluelessness.
"Ah, please come in."
Seeing this, the subordinate immediately took the item from Su Fan and invited him in.
Su Fan smiled faintly.
Today, not only could he kill some elite monsters, but he could also enjoy a free feast. Excellent.
Su Fan sat at a table in a corner, observing the guests around him. He found that every single one of them was at least an elite monster.
"We're rich! If I can take them all down, I'll definitely be able to assemble a full set of level 40 equipment!"
Su Fan was excited. He hadn't expected to encounter so many elite monsters in such a small stockade.
"Thank you all for gracing us with your presence, esteemed chiefs. It is my honor to have you here!"
After all the guests had arrived and just before the meal was about to begin, the chief of Leihu Stockade came out and addressed everyone present.
"Chief Xu, we heard you snatched a beauty at the foot of the mountain. Bring her out for us to see!"
The crowd below started to clamor and shout at Chief Xu.
"Please be patient, everyone. Let's have some drinks first. You'll see her when we perform the wedding ceremony tonight,"
Chief Xu chuckled and said with a grin.
Su Fan was shocked when he saw Chief Xu's appearance. The face was so familiar. Wasn't this the bandit leader who escaped from him last time? His name was Xu Dalei, wasn't it?
The scar on the man's face was from Su Fan's own blade. That was the first time Su Fan realized that NPCs in the game had self-awareness, so Su Fan remembered it vividly.
Xu Dalei's gaze swept towards Su Fan. Su Fan's heart leaped, and he quickly covered his face with his hand.
If the man saw Su Fan's face, he would definitely recognize him.
After all, Su Fan had destroyed one of Xu Dalei's stockades and almost killed him.
Xu Dalei's gaze lingered on Su Fan for only a moment. Although he found it strange that the person was covering his face, he didn't pay much attention. It was his big day, why would he bother with such trivial matters?
"Everyone, please eat and drink well. I will join you for more drinks later!"
After arranging for the guests, Xu Dalei left.
Su Fan looked in the direction Xu Dalei had gone. Just as he was about to get up and follow, he was pulled back by a bandit next to him.
"Hey, brother, why haven't I seen you before? Which mountain do you hail from?"
Su Fan was speechless. Did he know this guy? Why was he being so familiar?
"Qimiao Mountain."
Su Fan thought for a moment and casually made up a mountain name.
"Qimiao Mountain? Never heard of it? What's your name, brother?"
The other person seemed like a chatterbox, grabbing Su Fan and refusing to let go, constantly asking questions.
Su Fan was very helpless. He probably couldn't catch up to Xu Dalei now, so he sat back down in his original spot.
"My surname is Ba, and I'm the eighth child in my family. Everyone calls me Ba Ba."
Su Fan said to the other person.
"Ba Ba? Hello, Ba Ba, I'm Da Niu from Longhu Mountain!"
Da Niu extended his hand to Su Fan.
Since the other person was so polite, Su Fan couldn't maintain a cold expression. A smile immediately appeared on his face.
"Hello, Da Niu. I haven't had many friends since I was young. If you're willing to be friends, you can call me Lao Ba from now on, it sounds more intimate."
Su Fan said to Da Niu with a look of sincerity.
"Alright! Based on your words, Da Niu has decided to be your friend! Lao Ba! Come, let's have a drink, brother!"
Da Niu, full of bravado, picked up a bowl of wine, poured one for Su Fan, and clinked glasses with him.
"From now on, if Lao Ba ever needs Da Niu, just ask!"
Seeing the naive Da Niu, Su Fan almost felt reluctant to take advantage of him.
"Here! If you encounter any difficulties in the future, come to Qimiao Mountain to find Lao Ba. Your Lao Ba will definitely do his best to help!"
Su Fan also clinked glasses with Da Niu, full of bravado.
"Hearty!"
Seeing this, Da Niu tilted his head back and drank the wine in his bowl in one gulp.
Su Fan, however, took the opportunity to pour his wine onto the ground.
"Ah, hearty!"
Su Fan pretended to have drunk a bowl of wine with gusto and said heartily.